Meet My Docs

• Elizabeth Zapp MD
  Doctor Zapp has a Family Practice with a caring touch and though she works part time while raising children she saw me within 24 hours of my initial call.

  About five minutes after having seen my breast she had somehow greased my way into Doctor Rose's office down the road. Then she talked to him twice on the phone later that afternoon making sure all tests got approved and we knew what was going on.

  Now she calls me just to find out what's going on. Mom, Veteran, Amazing. She's a keeper.

• Gary L Rose MD
  Doctor Rose practices Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in WRA Cascades VA office and is the nicest guy you'd ever want to get bad news from.

  He gave me the straight scoop from day one and has taken phone calls from both my husband and me; no messages or run-around from Doctor Rose, who makes his own calls to patients and is great about follow-up.

  He even got me an appointment to see a top surgeon weeks before anyone else would have seen me.

  The Washington Radiology Fairfax office where I went for more specific tests made me most unhappy however. In short there was no communication and I was treated like a piece of meat. Avoid the Fairfax office or take your best assertive patient voice.

• Richard Flax MD FACS
  Breast Surgeon that took the time to draw diagrams, talk to the family, answer questions and impress us. That said, he was better interacting before surgery than after, but on the other hand a few years ago was also listed as one of DC's Top Docs.
• Raymond M Chang MD
  A Yalie who teaches at George Washington School of Medicine, Dr Chang henceforth known as the guy in charge of rebuilding my mammaries, got his MD from Maryland.

  I like him more the longer I know him, as he asks my opinion about art and is amazed about the frozen pea fund.

  It is Doctor Chang who is becoming my bosom buddies as I see him once every one to two weeks as the rebuilding process continues.

• Rebecca Kaltman MD
  Dr. Kaltman, a medical oncologist, specializes in breast cancer care. Graduate of and formerly on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania she joined the practice of well known and respected oncologist Carolyn Hendricks in Bethesda in 2007.
  
  Extremely well plugged into the latest research and tools, she was the oncologist that I meant to interview first and move on to two others.
  
  At the end of abut an hour together I liked her - but most of all I was so shocked by what I felt to be grim statistics -  so much so that I agreed to a plan of a less intense form of chemotherapy designed for those who are not strong enough for more intense therapy. This would be followed by hormonal therapy starting in late summer.
     
  Since then I've had more tests, and had second and thirs and fourth thoughts. Since I'm not constitutionally ready to pursue a course of treatment that may make my current chronic conditions worse, I am seeking additional guidance and the final decision about chemotherapy is on hold while i rebuild some strength.